Towel holder



All@ 4, 1936 H. D. LAWS-ON 2,049,964

TOWEL HOLDER Filed June lO, 1935 Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT oFFicE n*2,049,964 TOWEL HOLDER Herbert DJ Lawson, `Washington, D. C., assignorto Mason Gan Company, East Providence,

R. I. K

Application June 10,1935, serial No. 25,934

s claims. (o1. 24a-55.2)

This invention relates to a towel holder and is designed primarily forsupporting rolls of paper towels so that they can be held under aslightV Vrestraint and thus be prevented from turning too freely whenthe paper is pulled.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can bemade at low cost, and which, when not in use, can be easily folded so asto facilitate packing and storage.

A still further object is to provide a towel holder formed of few partsand which will not readily get out of order.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing fromthe spirit o-f the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has beenshown.

In said drawing Figure lis a plan view of the towel holder in open oroperative position.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2 2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevation showing the spring pressed arm folded.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates anattached plate of any desired proportions adapted to be fastened in anysuitable manner to a wall or other supporting structure and this baseplate has a pair of ears 2 struck therefrom adjacent to each end.

Each pair of ears is straddled by opposed flanges 3 of a side arm 4formed preferably of sheet metal and the cuter or free end portion ofeach arm carries a knob-like bearing element 5.

As before stated the flanges 3 are pivotally joined to the ears 2.Thereforethe adjacent end or edge of each arm 4 constitutes a means formoving against plate I to limit the swinging movement of the arm 4 inone direction relative to the plate I. Movement of each arm in theopposite direction is unrestrained until the bearing element 5 comesagainst the plate. Thus the structure can be folded as indicated bydotted lines in Figure 1 for convenience in packing and storing.

In order that one of the arms may exert a constant thrust toward theYother arm when opened outwardly to its extreme full line position inFigure 1, a short spring blade 1 is inserted through a transverse slit 8in the base plate I. Thus one end of this blade will be supported incontact with the back surface of plate I where it can be secured by arivet 9 or the like. 5 The other end of the blade will extend betweenthe ears 2 and across the end of arm 4. If desired a narrow bearingflange I can be provided along this end of arm 4 for the purpose ofengaging the spring 'i andplacing it under tension by forcing lo it backtoward plate I when said arm 4 is opened outwardly as in Figures 1, 2and 3.

When it is desired to use this rack the two arms are opened as in Figure1 so as to place spring 1 under maximum tension and t0. provide a suililcient clearance between the bearing elements 5 to permit the insertionof a roll of paper between the arms. These rolls are generally formedwith tubular cores. Thus when the arms are released following theinsertion of a roll, the spring pressed .,0 arm 4 will moveautomatically against the end d of the ro-ll so that said roll will thusbe clamped between the two arms and the bearing elements 5 held withinthe ends of the roll.

Consequently when a length of paper is pulled from the roll said rollwill turn readily because the pressure exerted by the spring pressed arm4 is not excessive. Such pressure however is sufcient to prevent theroll from spinning.

It will be noted that the structure is very simple in construction andall of the parts can be easily produced with dies whereby the parts canbe struck from sheet metal. The number of parts is reduced to theminimum and because of its simple construction the device will notreadily get out of order.

What is claimed is:

1. A towel holder including a base plate having spaced pairs of earsextending therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears of one pair, opposedarms hingedly connected to the respective pairs of ears, and a leafspring or blade extending through the slot and fastened at one end tothe plate while its other or active end is extended freely between theadjacent ears and across one end of the adjacent arm between said armand the base, said spring constituting means for normally pressing saidarm yieldingly toward the opposed arm.

2. A towel holder including. a base plate having spaced pairs of earsextending therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears of one pair, opposedarms hingedly connected to the respective pairs of ears, and a leafspring or blade extending through the slot and fastened at one end tothe plate while its other end is extended freely between the adjacentears and across one end of the adjacent arm between said arm and theYbase, said spring constituting means for normally pressing said armyieldingly toward the opposed arm, and a bearing element on said arm forexerting a thrust against the spring to place it under compression whenVthe arm is moved out of normal position inreither direction and forholding the arm folded toward the base when the arm is forcibly shiftedin one direction away from normal position.

3. A towel holder comprising a base plate formed of sheet metal havingopposed pairs of ears struck therefrom and a slot adjacent the ears ofone pair, opposed arms each Vformed. of sheet metal and having opposedflanges, the anges of said arms being hingedly connected to the ears ofthe respective pairs and each arm Y having one end movable against theplate to limit the swinging movement of the arm in one directionrelative to the base plate, a spring blade extending through the slot inthe base and having one end back of and secured to the base plate andits other end free and extended between the base and the arm, said freeend of the spring being in yielding contact with the end of the adjacentarm, a flange on the arm engaging the spring thereby to hold said springunder tension when said arm is moved in either direction out of normalposition, said ilange and spring cooperating to hold the arm yieldinglypressed toward the base when the arm is forcibly moved out of normalposition into folded position onto the base.

HERBERT D. LAWSON.

